Just a week before Christmas, LaLiga gives us the gift of a Clásico. What are the game plans of both teams? What wingers should Zidane use to best compensate for the absence of Eden Hazard? What will be the key individual duels in the game? In this preview, we’ll try to answer these questions and […]
As Napoli triumphed over Genk in a scintillating win that reminded fans of what could have been, the curtains closed on Carlo Ancelotti’s Neapolitan experience. Expectations were not met, pieces of the puzzle detaching progressively as time passed, until the decision to part ways paved the way for Gennaro Gattuso’s chance. What exactly went wrong […]
Much of the first half of this Manchester Derby was defined by Manchester United’s quick transitions. Manchester City had promising attacks of their own, but their defensive intensity was below usual standards, which partly allowed United to go 2-0 up within thirty minutes. City made slight adjustments to stem the flow of counterattacks and attempted […]
During the first half, Atlético’s medium block and pressing trap approach dominated Barcelona, reducing them to a single shot in thirty minutes. With a small tweak in midfield and an adjustment to Messi’s position, Barcelona started overcoming the Atlético block. In the second half, an increasingly tired Atlético conceded counterattack opportunities that ultimately led to […]
During the first half, River nullified Flamengo’s offense through a compact and intense pressing block while also being efficient in scoring one of their few chances. Flamengo made better use of the wings during the second half to overcome an increasingly tired River press but struggled to score, until Gabigol punished two mistakes by River […]
In the main event of this weekend’s Ligue 1 action, Marseille could count on a very inspired Dimitri Payet, who scored a double to lead them to victory. Despite an early red card in the second half, André Villas-Boas’ side managed to keep their lead, meaning they are now second in Ligue 1. Tactical analysis […]
Once again, Juventus struggled to create chances, this time against a Milan side that efficiently pushed Sarri’s defense back and went close to taking the lead on multiple occasions. Only the substitute Paulo Dybala put the visitors’ hopes to bed when his shot hit the back of the net, leaving Pioli’s men empty-handed. Tactical analysis […]
In yet another shellacking of Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena, interim manager Hansi Flick’s tactical choices paid dividends for Bayern Munich. Tactical analysis and match report by Erik Elias. Sacking Niko Kovač was a rather ruthless decision. He won the double last season, and only lost three official matches in the 2019/20 season. At […]
Liverpool scored twice in under fifteen minutes through Fabinho and Mohamed Salah, putting the game out of reach of a Manchester City side who had played well despite the scoreline. In the second half, Sadio Mané added to the advantage and encouraged Liverpool into a more attacking and expansive game plan. City eventually came back […]